The Change
by StraniqueGirl0684
Summary: Dating secretly sounded fun in the beginning. But what happens when Butch decides he wants to change that - that he isn't so sure he likes being a secret anymore? GREENs fic.


**Hello again! I've written another little Greens oneshot. I'm intrigued to see what people think! It's definitely...different than the Greens I've written so far.**

 **I own absolutely nothing, of course. Just putting ideas on a page!**

 **Please enjoy! :)**

* * *

Butch sat at the bar nursing a beer with his brothers. He'd lost count of how many he'd had, but he felt pretty good, so the number had to be fairly significant. A grin spread across his face as he listened to his brothers bitch about their girl troubles.

Not that he'd ever admit it out loud, but Butch liked when they got together like this. Sure, to anyone who didn't know the Jojo brothers better, they could assume it was something about brotherly bonding that made him enjoy their outings together. However, those people would not only be wrong – they would also be stupid.

Butch adored listening to his brothers whine about women, knowing he had the best girlfriend around.

Even if his brothers didn't know it.

"I swear she's trying to send me to an early grave," Brick groused. "Does the woman not understand that not everyone on this planet is as rich as her daddy?"

Boomer frowned, staring at his phone screen. "Probably not."

"What are you pouting about?"

"M'not pouting."

Suppressing a snicker, Butch said, "Yeah, you are. What's up, Boom?"

"I think Julie's going to break up with me."

Brick raised a brow. "Why? I thought she was practically proposing to you last week?"

The blond shrugged before letting his head rest on the table in front of them. "She was, but I laughed at her." With a groan, he slammed his head against the table. "I'm. So. Fucking. Dumb."

"If she'd really dump your ass over that then she's as crazy as she is stupid." Brick took another swig of his beer. "You've been dating for a month. Did she really think you were going to take that step that fast?"

"Yeah, Princess has been waiting for three years for Brick to pop the question," Butch teased, loving this way more than he would if he was a better brother.

Luckily, he wasn't, and this all just tickled him.

Rolling his eyes, the redhead gave Butch a hard look. "Spoken like a true lifer for the bachelorhood."

"…what the hell did you even just say?"

"I'll translate," Boomer mumbled into the table. "You're going to be single forever, so of course you make it sound like three years is a long time. Hell, even a month probably sounds like a long time to you."

Butch downed the rest of his beer faster than intended and gestured for another. He supposed this was a downside to keeping a secret from his brothers. They assumed shit like this because he hadn't openly talked about having a girlfriend in over five years.

Of course, that was only after having the incredibly awkward conversation where his brothers both assumed he was gay and neither knew how to broach the subject. Brick tried to be subtle about the topic while Boomer flat out shoved pictures of naked girls in his face, asking for an opinion to gauge a reaction.

Clearing that up without outing himself in a completely different way hadn't been easy, but he managed. Barely.

And when he'd told the girl in question about the confrontation, she'd fallen off the bed in laughter, her dark hair splaying against the carpet. Her chuckles and snickers grew into outright guffaws, toppling her over. Butch, being the good boyfriend he was, then reminded her with a few well placed kisses exactly how much he liked women.

Or one woman, to be exact.

One woman who would chop his balls off if he told his brothers about her.

"Just because you'll never get married doesn't mean nobody wants to," Brick said.

"Who sssays I never want to get married?" Another beer down.

"Your dating history."

"You typically have to date a girl to marry her," Boomer added. "Unless you're getting one of those brides in the mail or whatever."

"Is that even legal here?" Butch asked, gesturing for yet another beer despite feeling the delay of his reaction time setting in.

Brick shot him a sharp look. "Please tell me you're joking."

"Chill ooout. I don't need to order a bride."

"I might have to at this rate," Boomer lamented.

"Don't be ridiculous." Brick rolled his eyes. "You've hardly dated every girl in the world."

"Just about every girl in Townsville." Boomer's voice was muffled by the table.

Not every girl. Though the last time he'd broached the subject with his girlfriend about hooking up his brothers with her sisters, she'd about breathed fire she was so pissed off. Apparently her sisters were off-limits to all the men of Townsville, ex-villain or no. Most times guys only had to worry about an overprotective parent.

Not so in her household.

Honestly, if Butch wasn't getting sick of the idea of their relationship being some dirty secret, he'd almost be honored that she cared enough to keep him a secret from her sisters. He thought the three of them shared everything.

Apparently he was the exception.

But tonight going on his…shit, he really should have counted…somewhere over his fifteenth beer? Something like that? Whatever! With all of the beer coursing through his veins, Butch was a lot more bothered by being kept a secret than he'd ever been before.

"You and Butch could always live together. Forever bachelors," Brick snickered.

"I'd take that over marrying Princess," Boomer shot back, raising his head from the table for the first time.

Brick grimaced but said nothing. The girl had ears everywhere. Butch's leader was like a trained dog now. A quick fall from glory if he ever saw one.

"I don't wanna marry Princessssss," Butch slurred.

"You wouldn't be. You'll be marrying no one. Like me." And thus the head returned to the table.

"No way!" Butch insisted. "I'm going to have the best bride out of all of us."

Brick snorted. "Oh yeah? Who is this oh-so-perfect bride?"

He briefly hesitated. Somewhere within him, he knew this was a bad idea. But the beer tapped into his detestation of not being able to gloat, and it was all over. "Well, she doesn't _know_ she's going to be my bride yet."

"Butch, that's called kidnapping."

"Noooo. You don't get it! Just because she doesn't know now doesn't mean she'll never know."

"What are you yammering on about?" Brick's eyebrows furrowed as though he was trying to piece together the broken bits of nonsense his brother was spouting.

"I have a girlfriend. The best girlfriend, actually." Butch paused with a frown. "But she makes me keep her a seeeecret."

"Oh, of course. The secret girlfriend." With a roll of his eyes, Brick nudged Boomer. "Hear that, Boomer? Butch has a secret girlfriend."

Boomer simply raised his head from the table and looked Butch in the eyes. "Yeah? How long have you two been together?"

"Over five yearsss."

"You? Keep a secret for five years? Yeah, right. He's making it up."

"Am noooot."

"Oh, yeah, lover boy?" Brick challenged. "Who is she?"

"…she'll get maaaad if I tell you."

"Likely story."

Butch grinned slowly. "But that doesn't mean I can't show you!"

Boomer and Brick exchanged wary glances. "What?"

"I really don't feel like getting a peeping Tom charge put on my record for your delusions, Butch."

He rolled his forest green eyes. "You won't. Just trust meeee." He stood, and the world tilted a little extra on its axis for a moment before righting again. Then he began to march out the door.

"Where are you going?" Boomer called after him, staying rooted at the table.

"To get me a wife!" And Butch moved to leave the bar, not bothering to look and see if his brothers followed him.

"What?!"

"Just let him go, Boomer. If he gets his ass arrested for being a creep, serves him right. We'll bail him out later."

However, Butch barely heard the exchange as he practically ran out the door. Today was the day, he decided. He would remain a secret no more!

* * *

Butch stood outside the familiar white house after having stumbled his way here. He'd tried flying, but the zigzag pattern he probably created would draw unwanted attention. So here he stood in front of the red door that should have felt more normal to see.

But it didn't.

He studied it for a moment. Having come in through the window almost every time he entered the residence, he'd never really noticed how bright the front door was before. How it stood out from every other house on the block, if not in all of Townsville.

It was fitting in a way. Lord knew his girlfriend and her sisters stood out from the regular townies. They were just better in every way.

But she was his favorite.

God, he loved her. A grin threatened to split his face in two just at the thought of her. Even after all this time, Butch preferred being with her than without her. And now he wanted to be able to tell other people that.

Sure, they'd agreed keeping it a secret would be best when this whole thing first started. But then they never brought it up again! Maybe they just got in the habit of treating it like a secret, and their families would be totally supportive of them.

…okay, that might be a stretch, but still! They might at least tolerate the idea.

So now it was do-or-die. Butch needed to tell her that it was time to share their secret.

After all, getting secretly married would be a lot more difficult.

He knocked heavily on the door, grin spreading on his face. He couldn't wait to see her. It had only been a few days, but Butch wouldn't mind spending every day with her if she let him.

What he hadn't accounted for was the fact that someone else might answer the door.

The man stood at the door in a matching pajama set instead of his usual lab coat. Dark hairs began to appear on his face, and the black eyes blinked blearily at him.

However, not one to be deterred, Butch allowed his grin to widen. "Hey Professssor Utonium! How the hell are ya?"

The scientist simply stared at him. "Butch? Is that you?"

"Yup!"

"What are you doing here at –" the professor peered at his watch "1:30 in the morning?"

Oh. Oops. He probably should have checked a clock before banging on their door. So much for making a good first impression. Er, well, first impression in over a decade at any rate.

But he had a goal and already disrupted the man's sleep, so he might as well go all out now! Being mindful of his slurring, he managed to say, "I'm here to see your daughter."

Those black eyes now narrowed at him. However, before the Professor could speak again, a voice came down from the top of the stairs.

"Daddy? Who's at the door this late?"

Butch turned toward the voice to see all three girls gathering at the top of the stairs. Bubbles, who had spoken, wore a pale nightgown and rubbed sleep out of her eyes. Blossom stood next to her, head cocked and lips pursed as she stared him down, wearing a smart, matching pink (of course) pajama set.

And there, in all of her disheveled glory, wearing an oversized jersey stood his beautiful girlfriend, Buttercup Utonium. Her large eyes widened and mouth dropped into a gape at the sight of him.

He simply grinned up at her, his heart beating a little faster in his chest. "Hey there, Spitfire."

Professor Utonium followed his gaze to the face of his now crimson-faced middle daughter. "Buttercup, why is Butch here to see you at this time of night?"

She faltered for a second. If he hadn't been looking for it, he wouldn't have noticed. But there was a moment's hesitation before she released a sigh. "I'll explain later. Can I please just get his drunk ass home first? It's probably not safe for him to go by himself."

Her father hesitated, warily eying the Rowdyruff Boy. Sure, they hadn't committed a real and true crime in years, but some impressions were hard to change. Luckily, his savior came to him in the form of the commander and leader herself.

"She's right, Dad. It's our job to protect all of the city's citizens, and letting a drunken Rowdy wander the streets could spell disaster."

Okay, so maybe 'savior' was a little generous, but hey – if she got him out the door with his Spitfire, he certainly wasn't going to complain.

Bubbles giggled. "Oh, Daddy, let her go. We can talk about it in the morning. …or at least when the sun is actually up."

"I'm not sure if –"

Buttercup zipped to her room, slipping on a pair of shorts before appearing at her father's side. She smiled weakly at him. "I'll be fine. I'll be back soon." She kissed him on the cheek before grabbing Butch's wrist and leading him out the door.

His skin tingled under her touch, and his grin widened. God, he'd missed her.

Though her silence probably boded ill for him. He knew when she simmered like this, the best thing to do was wait for her to initiate the conversation, despite how badly he wanted to catch up with her. Anything other than waiting usually led to a way angrier tirade. She waited until they were about halfway to his house before speaking at all.

"What the hell were you thinking, Butch?"

Butch smiled at her, though she still refused to look at him. "I missed you."

This caused her to stop in her tracks and turn to him slowly, a very clear look of disbelief painting her features. "So much that it couldn't wait until normal hours of the day? And you had to come smelling like a damn brewery?"

The flinty look in those eyes would have been enough to deter most men, but not Butch. See, what Buttercup failed to remember was just how sexy she looked when she was angry. It made her eyes shine in a particular way that Butch found utterly fascinating. So while weaker men might have been scared, he just got a reminder of how lucky he was to have her, this beautiful angel of justice.

He shrugged. "I needed to see you."

She sighed heavily. "Why?"

"Because I love you, Spitfire."

Her gaze softened, and his heart about stopped. Buttercup's expressive face was one of Butch's favorite things about her, but this look? God, even he couldn't help but succumb to it. When she looked like that, eyes soft and expression relaxed, she looked so heartbreakingly beautiful that he hardly believed she was real at all. He touched her cheek, and she leaned into it for just a moment before lacing his hand in hers and starting them walking again.

"I love you too. Which is why I'm going to make sure you get home alive. And then we can hang out tomorrow. Okay?"

Butch willingly walked along with her in amicable silence for a few minutes more until they reached his house. He frowned at the sight of it. The walk felt way too short.

They slowed to a stop outside the door, and she shook her head. "I oughta kill you for that stunt, you know. My dad is probably having a conniption." She laughed bitterly. "And what the hell am I going to tell them in the morning?"

He frowned. "I don't see what's so bad about the truth."

Buttercup blinked up at him. "What?"

"Why not tell them the truth?"

"Where the hell is this coming from?"

"I'm sick of being a secret."

She balked. "I thought this was what you wanted?"

Some people would say that Butch's frown became an all out pout, but that would be ridiculous. Butch didn't pout. He just…got upset, and his face twisted in a certain way that could be interpreted as pouting. "I want to date you. Not be some dirty secret you have to keep."

"Butch, what the fuck? You were fine with this arrangement two days ago! What the hell changed?"

Maybe if Butch was a different person, he would have thought for a moment before he blurted it out. "Because I don't want to be a bachelor forever!"

If he thought he knew what Buttercup looked like truly surprised, he'd been sorely mistaken. Her eyes widened at him for the second time that night, and her mouth practically dropped to her chest. " _What_?"

"I wanna marry you, Buttercup."

Silence bore down on him, but he gulped back his nerves. Well, this wasn't going exactly how he thought it would. He definitely pictured a lot more kissing and a much happier look on her face when he declared that, but it was too late to take it back now.

Then she tossed her head back and laughed.

"Oh my God, Butch. You really had me going there for a second." Tears formed in her eyes. "You're just drunk. You don't mean this."

Butch's frown deepened. "No! I do mean it!"

She smiled sadly at him, and he felt his temper flare. "Butch, this is just the alcohol talking. You don't actually want to marry me."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Butch demanded. "Is it seriously so disgusting to you, the thought of marrying some lowlife like me?"

Her breath caught. "Don't be an idiot. That's not what I said!"

"How else do you explain you looking like you'd rather cut your own hand off than marry me?"

The glare from earlier returned. "You know what, Butch? I'll make you a deal. If you can even remember this conversation for when I see you tomorrow, we can talk about this then. And if you don't, then we both know this is just some kind of alcohol-fueled obligation because you think it's what I want. Good night, Butch."

Before he could get another word out, she flew off into the night sky, effectively sobering him up. Part of him wanted to follow her, a huge part. But another part got distracted by the front door flinging open to reveal his two gaping brothers.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Brick hissed. "You're dating a Powerpuff Girl?"

"I can't believe the secret girlfriend thing was true," Boomer said in awe.

Butch scowled. "Yeah, well. It obviously didn't mean as much to her." Dammit. No. Those were not tears in his eyes.

A smack resounded across his face, and the tears sprang forth from the sheer force.

"You are the biggest idiot I have ever met." Brick's red eyes hardened.

"You just gotta kick me while I'm down, don't ya?" Butch glowered at his brother in return.

"Butch, you asshole. What the hell else did you expect her to do?" Brick growled. "Did you really think a drunk, half-assed proposal was something she would accept?"

"Or that anyone would accept?" Boomer amended.

"She'd have to be demented to say yes to that mess. I'm honestly surprised she didn't beat the shit out of you myself."

"She must really love you."

Brick shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day where Buttercup was in love with anybody, let alone you, dumbass."

He frowned. Something about this exchange wasn't right. "Hold up. Why aren't you guys beating the shit out of me? For 'betraying the brotherhood' or what the fuck ever?"

Brick and Boomer exchanged a look. With a resigned sigh, Brick asked, "For what?"

"For dating her."

Boomer snickered. "Hey, if she can put up with you, more power to her."

"So, you're not pissed about me dating 'the enemy' or some shit like that?" Butch narrowed his eyes, darting between his two brothers.

With an emphatic eye roll, Brick shook his head again. "I couldn't give less of a shit."

"Besides," Boomer smiled at him before continuing with, "you love her. It'd be a little bit pointless to protest now, yeah?"

"But if you fuck it up, I'm punching you right in the dick."

Butch scratched the back of his head. "You don't think I already did?"

"How many times have you known that girl to give second chances?"

Fair point. She could very easily have skinned him alive, but she hadn't.

Maybe there was hope yet?

All he knew was that he better be on his A game tomorrow. No way was he going to fuck this up a second time.

* * *

Butch sat on the crest of a hill just outside of Townsville – their usual meeting place. The midday sun beat down on his back, and he remained grateful that Brick had long ago found a cure-all mixture for hangovers. He had one more chance to not fuck this up entirely.

When Buttercup touched down, her expression remained guarded. If he wasn't looking for it, it could be argued that her look was neutral. But not to Butch. He knew better.

"Hey Butch."

"Hey there, Spitfire."

Her cheeks tinged red, and Butch couldn't help but grin. In most cases, it took a lot to embarrass the bullheaded Powerpuff Girl, but that nickname brought color to her cheeks since the first time he'd used it.

She plopped down next to him. "So, what's the plan for today, Butchie Boy?"

"Trying this again."

"Wha -?"

He rolled to his knees and stared her in the face. She struggled to keep her expression neutral as he pulled a little box out of his pocket.

"Oh holy shit." Butch fought back a smirk at the breathiness of her voice that betrayed her expression all together.

"I know this probably seems crazy, and hell if I don't know what a lucky son of a bitch I am that you even showed up today." Butch forced a laugh to mask the clearing of his throat as it thickened with emotion. "But I meant what I said, Buttercup. I want to marry you. It doesn't have to be today. It doesn't have to be five years from now. It just has to be you."

He opened the box to reveal the ring inside – a giant emerald surrounded by tiny peridot stones. When he picked it out that morning, his brothers gave him skeptical looks, but he knew her. Sure, was getting their colors a little cliché? Fuck yeah. But still less cliché than a diamond. Any asshole could buy a diamond.

"So, what do you say, Buttercup? Will you consider marrying this asshole, even though sometimes he'll wake you up at 1:30 in the morning just because he wants to see you?"

"You were serious." Her eyes remained locked on the ring, and Butch swore he saw the sheen of unshed tears in those lime orbs.

"Damn right I'm serious."

Then, to his horror, Buttercup tipped her head back and laughed. Again. Oh God. Had he really fucked this up entirely?

"You're a crazy motherfucker, you know that?" Her disbelieving grin spoke volumes. "We haven't even told our families that we're dating, and you want to suddenly get married?"

Butch thinned his mouth into a line in an attempt to mask his frown. "Well, my brothers know now."

She chuckled. "Yeah, I figured. How'd they take it?"

Was she really going to drag this out? If she was going to just turn him down, couldn't she get it over with? "Fine."

And then she smiled at him. That smile that softened up her whole face, and he couldn't remember why he'd been angry at all. "Yeah, my sisters too."

Wait. What?

His eyes widened. "You told them?"

Buttercup nodded, her cheeks burning bright red. "Yeah. On my flight home, I thought about what you said." She looked him square in the eyes, her expression deadly serious. "I never wanted you to think you were a dirty secret, Butch."

He smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Only a regular secret."

With a roll of her eyes, she plucked the ring box out of his hand. "Don't be a dick. You'll ruin the moment when I say yes."

Butch blinked at her once. Then twice. As she pulled the ring out of the box with a smirk and held it out to him, his heart rate picked up.

"I'm pretty sure you're supposed to put this on me. But what the hell do I know? I've never been engaged before."

He took it from her and continued to stare at her. "Are you serious?"

"Changing your mind, Butchie Boy?" And there it was.

A flash of raw, naked fear danced through her eyes before disappearing. And it gave him all the clarity he needed.

"Not on your life, Spitfire. I'm playing for keeps." Butch slipped the ring on her finger and, before she could even look at it, he cupped her face and pulled her lips to his own.

She clung to him like a lifeline, and a rogue tear escaped her eye. He couldn't help but chuckle as he pulled away to brush it off her cheek. However, she practically flew into his lap, effectively knocking him on his ass, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"I love you, Butch."

"I love you too, Buttercup." And he squeezed her tightly to him for a moment before something occurred to him. "Hey…so what did your dad say?"

"What?"

"When you told him. You know, about us."

Buttercup smiled sheepishly at him. "Well…"

His blood ran cold. "You did tell him, didn't you?"

The silence that greeted him answered his question well enough, and Butch groaned.

"He's going to skin me alive."

"Noooo."

Butch quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I'll be there to protect you." She grinned. "Besides, afraid of a middle aged man, Butch? I thought you were tougher than that."

He tugged on a strand of her hair and pulled a face. "He's probably pissed about last night. Not exactly the best first impression."

"You ruined your shot at a good first impression when you were five, Butch." She grasped his hand, holding her ring up to his face. "This means we're in this together."

"You tricked me! I should have waited until after you told him."

"Too late. Now you're stuck with me." She moved to kiss him again.

And, somehow, that didn't sound so bad. Together they, the toughest fighters of their respective families, could face anything.

Even angry soon-to-be father-in-laws.

* * *

 **And that's it! I've got to admit, after writing "Saddle," this seems so short in comparison. XD**

 **If you'd like, and if you've got the time, I'd love to hear what you think!**

 **Love and Rockets,**

 **Stranique**


End file.
